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Sunday, 10 March 2013

It has been a very long time since I wrote anything for this blog. It took ages to pick up and catch up after the ill health shenanigans. I think this year will see me feeling a couple of months behind schedule for some time to come.

We have said a couple of goodbyes. Sadly to our white doves who have lived here for over 20 years. Although countless tests were sent off during Rodger’s extended hospital stay, the reason for his illness was never resolved but a question mark hung over the strange viruses that the birds could carry. After three years of denial he has conceded that they really should go.

It’s not as easy to find a bird a new home as it sounds. They keep coming back, and we keep returning them....

Could she have brought in some nasty bug for Rodger to pick up? The consultant did say - The cats or the wife Rodger? Thankfully it was in jest - she stays!

Then it was ‘Goodbye’ to the ‘Captain,’ the large vertical pugmill which we had hoped would be capable of extruding wider pieces but sadly has proved to be underpowered for the job.

It’s a perfectly good machine for pugging clay so do get in touch if you need one.

Meanwhile we have taken a huge step and invested a fortune in a new machine, specially made for the job. It arrived last week having taken several weeks to travel from the west coast of the USA.

Three strong ‘lads’ from the site next door helped us lug it round and up the steps into the workshop, where it is now sitting ready to eat up clay and looking ever so slightly scary. Actually it is so long that Rodger is going to cut some bricks out of the wall behind so as to push the end of it into a recess.

I finished constructing and inscribing a batch of nineteen ripply dishes yesterday,

and enjoyed the ripples in the Kippford mud today, shining in the winter sun.

I have only completed one smaller batch of work so far this year, so it is encouraging to feel that at last things are underway.